<Q14>

Subjects and Curriculum

Q14	Have a secure knowledge and understanding of their subjects/curriculum areas and related pedagogy to enable them to teach effectively across the age and ability range for which they are trained. .

C15	Have a secure knowledge and understanding of their subjects/curriculum areas and related pedagogy including: the contribution that their subjects/curriculum areas can make to cross-curricular learning; and recent relevant developments.

P5	Have a more developed knowledge and understanding of their subjects/curriculum areas and related pedagogy including how learning progresses within them.

E5	Have an extensive and deep knowledge and understanding of their subjects/curriculum areas and related pedagogy gained for example through involvement in wider professional networks associated with their subjects/curriculum areas.

Extract from Guidance to accompany the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) TDA, 2007

Rationale

Rationale

In order to help learners develop knowledge and understanding, teachers need secure subject knowledge and understanding that is relevant to the school curriculum and/or examination syllabuses. Teachers are expected to know and understand the relevant National Strategy frameworks, and deliver the relevant statutory and non-statutory curricula. Secure subject knowledge enables teachers to plan lessons and sequences of lessons, set teaching and learning objectives, and assess learners’ progress towards these objectives.

Scope

In order to meet this standard, the level and depth of trainees’ curriculum and subject knowledge should be such that they demonstrate a sufficiently secure grasp of the concepts, ideas and principles in their subject(s) to be able to teach the relevant school curriculum in the age ranges they are trained to teach.

This standard applies to all trainees, although the detailed subject and pedagogical knowledge required will vary according to the age ranges and subject(s) they are preparing to teach. All trainees are required to demonstrate that they are able to teach across two consecutive age ranges; they need to demonstrate they have met the subject knowledge expectations across the relevant age ranges of training.

The small minority of trainees that are training to teach a subject that is always or predominantly taught in only one age range may need to demonstrate subject knowledge in a related subject if they are not able to teach their subject across the full age range of training.

Questions to consider

Does the trainee demonstrate that they:

Have secure subject-related pedagogical knowledge and understanding of the relevant subject?
Can plan and set subject-related targets for individuals and groups of learners?
Can break down ideas and concepts and sequence them logically to support the development of learners’ knowledge and understanding?
Can answer learners’ questions confidently and fully?
Know and can respond to learners’ common misconceptions?
Are able to make effective interventions to construct and scaffold learning?
Can analyse learners’ progress and make accurate assessments of their learning and achievement?

Cross references

Evidence for this standard may be linked to evidence for assessment against the following standards:

Q10 (Teaching and learning)
Q11, Q12 (Assessment and monitoring)
Q15 (Subjects and curriculum)
Q17 (Literacy, numeracy and ICT)
Q19 (Achievement and diversity)
Q22 (Planning)
Q25(a), Q25(b), Q25(c), Q25(d) (Teaching)
Q26, Q27, Q28 (Assessing, monitoring and giving feedback)
Q29 (Reviewing teaching and learning)

ITT requirement R2.7 sets out the age range requirement for training.

Further evidence relating to subject knowledge may be available from trainees’ qualifications – see requirements R1.1 and R1.2.

Sources of evidence

Evidence of secure subject and curriculum knowledge and understanding is most likely to be found in, for example, trainees’ planning, teaching, reflections on and evaluations of teaching, assessment and record keeping, discussions with tutors and mentors, contributions to school-based training and development work, work with colleagues and subject-related assignments or tasks. Trainees’ may complete, for example, written or online subject audits, tests, and maintain personal professional development logs, diaries or profiles.